


MSBY Marketing

by tsumwriter



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: CoWorkers to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, MSBY, Platonic Relationships, Slight Cursing, Spoilers, at the end you choose who you end up with, sorry actual marketing majors/people
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:41:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 14,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27985587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsumwriter/pseuds/tsumwriter
Summary: A business student fresh out of school working for the MSBY marketing department discovering the different quirks of the four players she's assigned to accompany during sponsor events. Eventually, you find yourself building a kinship with Atsumu, Bokuto, Hinata, and Sakusa in which you call the worst and best job in the world. On the other hand, the boys start slowly falling for you.
Relationships: Bokuto Koutarou/Reader, Hinata Shouyou/Reader, Miya Atsumu/Reader, Sakusa Kiyoomi/Reader
Comments: 123
Kudos: 376





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [msby black jackals online!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27714098) by [mooshys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mooshys/pseuds/mooshys). 



Your first introduction to the team was a complete disaster, and that was putting it nicely.

You were an MBA student fresh out of business school with a few years of marketing experience under your belt, and a new coordinator in the MSBY marketing department.

The MSBY Black Jackals were hot commodities, which meant more sponsors and in turn, a need for more employees to coordinate and manage those sponsorships. That’s where you came along; a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, business student and soon to be over-glorified-babysitter of four grown men.

Frankly, you were nervous to meet the athletes that you had seen and heard so much about, especially the four that you were supposed to be in charge of.

There was Bokuto Koutaro, one of four wing spikers, whose eccentricity matched his spiked-up hair. Bokuto-senshu had a killer cut shot with a sharp angle and a killer smile that could make any girl swoon. Not to mention the golden eyes that reminded you of honey. This owl-like spiker was not only a fan favorite, but also the staff favorite because of his enthusiastic and respectful attitude towards everyone.

Then, there was Sakusa Kiyoomi, another one of the wing spikers, with the most flexible wrists and the deadliest spin that left any opponent struggling to receive his serves and spikes. Sakusa-senshu was a well-rounded player and also the most popular amongst sponsors. He always wore a serious expression that mirrored his seriousness towards work, which you appreciated. No matter the task, if it was work related, he agreed, albeit reluctantly.

On the other hand, Hinata Shoyo, with his bright hair, was a bit of a mystery to you. Whenever you saw him play, you’d always wonder what was behind that smile and where his endless stamina came from. You had done your research on him like the other players, and he was quite the sensation from his beach volleyball days. Ninja-Shoyo was a force to be reckoned with his receives and his equally talented attacks. He had powerful spikes and powerful friends that made him an important asset to the team both physically and financially. 

The scariest and most troubling of them all was Miya Atsumu, the setter of the team. With his smug smile and rough accent, he managed to attract the biggest fanbase out of everyone on the team. Miya-senshu, like his accent, was loud and rough around the edges, and he loved messing with the staff members as much as he loved intimidating his opponents. He was also the reason why you were currently on the cold floor of the gym clutching onto your bleeding nose.

Miya-senshu’s floating serve went a bit astray and the ball had decided to land on your face-- very hard.

So now you were on the ground, trying to hold back tears in front of the entire team and your supervisor, who was _trying_ to introduce you to the team.

The next few seconds were a blur.

You were in a daze as you tried to decipher sights and sounds in front of you. From what your probably-concussed brain could make out was a panicking Hinata and Bokuto waving their hands, asking how many fingers they were holding up.

When your vision finally became clearer, you were met with a medic kneeling next to you while the team’s captain squatted behind him with a concerned look.

While the medic was tending to your bloody nose, you could hear the team bickering in the background.

“Good job Miya, you killed her.”

“What’re ya talkin about? It’s Bokkun’s fault for not being able to receive it.”

“Tsum-Tsum, you went out of bounds!”

“Inunaki, Miya, Bokuto, five laps.”

And that was how you met the team and the four men that would simultaneously make you want to rip your hair out while also thanking god for the best job in the world.

\--- bonus scene

You let out a sigh as you were organizing your new desk.

Luckily, the medic had said there were no signs of a concussion, but still advised you to take it easy.

While you weren’t expecting to get a black eye on your first day of work, you gladly accepted the sudden bonus from your supervisor which he called “hazard pay.”

As you were setting up some pictures on your desk, you heard a gentle knock on your door followed by a few footsteps.

When you looked up, you saw one distressed Bokuto-senshu and one smirking Miya-senshu at your door waiting for your invitation to come in. While they didn’t say anything, you already assumed Meian-Senshu was behind their visit.

You motioned for them to come in and they slowly walked over to your desk.

“What can I do for you guys?”

Bokuto was the first to pipe up and apologize, “I’m sorry for not receiving properly… and… letting it hit you in the face.”

It was amazing how his hair conveyed his emotions because you swore it looked droopier than usual. Initially, you wanted to make a comment on how it wasn’t his fault, but you knew he would combust if you didn’t accept his apology.

So, you put on a comforting smile and reassured him (despite being the injured one in the conversation).

“I’m fine Bokuto-senshu! The medic said I didn’t have a concussion.”

This seemed to brighten his mood, and again his hair stood up a little higher.

You expectantly looked at the real culprit for your apology, but you were met with silence and a slightly irritating grin.

It was only until Bokuto elbowed him in the ribs that he muttered a “I’m sorry.”

Your eyes narrowed in disbelief at his stubbornness and you gave him an equally short answer of gratitude for his apology.

You found yourself further in disbelief when Atsumu placed a signed headshot of himself as an apology gift followed by a taunting comment.

“Guess ya really fell for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters 1&2 are mostly context for the entire story but I swear starting from chapter 3 we'll see some reader x character interactions!! As well as platonic (and not so platonic) flirting!!!
> 
> Come say hi to me on my [tumblr](http://tsumwriter.tumblr.com)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You find out what working with the players is actually like.

On paper your job was simple.

As part of the marketing team, you made sure the team had sponsors and that your assigned players were promoted appropriately to make the team and its owner lots and lots of money. MSBY was more than a simple volleyball team- it was a well oiled machine. There were several departments all functioning to make sure that the players could play without once worrying about finances, public relations, and day-to-day operations and it was your job to make sure your assigned athletes didn’t make a fool out of themselves when meeting the sponsors that helped keep the MSBY world go round.

So, as previously mentioned, your job _should_ be simple.

The MSBY Black Jackals was one of the best teams in Japan and you’d assumed that being the best meant having disciplined, matured, and intelligent players. But, you couldn’t have been more wrong. All of the words that you thought you would use to describe your assigned players ONLY applied to volleyball because outside of the court, none of those things applied to the athletes.

It wasn’t that the wing spikers and setter were _bad_ workers, just… sometimes bad to work with.

Their mind was always on volleyball, almost like there was no off switch.

You’d been working with them for a few months and luckily you had been mainly working with Sakusa and Bokuto, the two “easier” to work with athletes according to your senpais. You didn’t want to make any unjustified judgement calls but after some short one-on-one debrief meetings you whole-heartedly agreed with your coworkers.

Said meetings were only 15-30 minutes of current sponsors, potential sponsorship/brand deals, and upcoming events, but even in these short talks, you found yourself having difficulty reeling them in.

If you had to rate the four athletes from easiest to most challenging in terms of doing your job, the order went something like this: Sakusa, Bokuto, Hinata, and of course dead last Miya Atsumu.

The curly haired wing spiker was very stoic, all the time. And while at first he was intimidating, what with his cold demeanor and distant attitude, you soon came to realize that those habits came out of his anxiety surrounding germs and cleanliness, something you made sure to be cautious of at all times. Because of Sakusa, you always had clorox wipes and hand sanitizer on your desk and kept a safe distance between the two of you, an act he greatly appreciated. You noticed he was becoming more comfortable around you and your office which you took great pride in. Even your senpais were shocked at how fast Sakusa was warming up to you.

Sakusa was an extremely diligent person when it came to work. He was no stranger to the concept of money and sponsors keeping him afloat as a volleyball player, and he took it very personally when brands dropped him (and always secretly sulked when he saw other volleyball players replacing him).

You realized that as long as you kept things clean and organized, Sakusa Kiyoomi did everything you requested, albeit with many complaints. But nonetheless, he listened.

Bokuto Kotaro _would’ve_ been first on your list, but he was such an empath that whenever you were with him, you had to worry about him worrying about you. It was so very unusual but also very endearing.

Whether it be in your debrief meetings or when you went to photoshoots, meet and greets, or dinners, he always seemed to pick up on your anxiety, which in turn would make him slightly anxious.

Once, during a sponsor meet and greet featuring only Bokuto, you had somehow lost the signed jersey that was supposed to be put in the raffle.

When Bokuto found you walking in circles in the green room of the venue, he started getting teary eyed and started panicking, even more than you. In the end, you had to calm him down, and after seeing him crouched under the vanity table, you promised yourself that you would never screw up in front of this man, for your sake but mainly his.

Hinata was actually very easy going, but was the youngest and struggled with the idea of a volleyball player doing things outside of volleyball for money. During debriefs and updates, he always asked you why he had to go to certain events instead of practice.

While You kindly explained to him that he needed to attend other things to continue playing volleyball. It was a foreign concept to him and one in which he rebutted by saying, “Why would they want to see anything other than a game if they’re a fan?”

Eventually, you would just give up and tell him that if he didn’t want to see you fired he would have to help you out. Yes, you realize how mean that was, but you swear later in life he would understand why you had to take such extreme measures.

Last but certainly not least, was Miya Atsumu.

Miya-senshu loved his fans and genuinely appreciated the support that he got from them, but he hated the idea of sponsors. From what you could gather, it was a bad history of brand deals and sponsorships oversexualizing him and focusing on him as a pretty face rather than one of the best setters in the country, if not the world.

His hatred for being objectified was extremely valid and something that you as well as the rest of the team did their best to accommodate. Unbeknownst to him, there were many rejected and reorganized contracts and deals to make sure the focus was on Miya Atsumu, the MSBY setter, and not just Miya Atsumu, the pretty face with blonde hair.

But this caution taken by the team was a double edged sword.

Because of the extra caution that the marketing department took with the setter, there were less offers presented to Atsumu, which made him jealous of the other players. This made him lash out quite often because he wanted more events focused on him, and the easiest target was always you: the staffer on the lowest rung of the food chain.

Usually, it was harmless whining with the only victim being your stress levels, but it was nothing that you couldn’t handle. You had graduated university and business school on a full ride, dealing with privileged assholes, you could deal with one grumbly setter.

And you seemed to be handling all four of them seamlessly. Each of them had taken to you, and trusted you, which was not an easy endeavor. Despite not being part of their training staff, you felt like you had a good (professional working) relationship with each of your assigned athletes.

That was until one eventful day where the Japanese national team roster came out for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

There was a MSBY company email that went out to every staffer, a warning, that stated the Japanese national team roster was out and it was the season for heightened sensitivity for some of the players. You had experienced this season before at your previous internship under another team, but you never interacted one-on-one with the athletes, at least not to this level, so now you were slightly nervous. You weren’t sure how this would affect Miya-senshu’s mood and it didn’t help that you had bad news about the marketing department replacing him with Tomas-senshu for an undergarment commercial.

You knew he didn’t care about the photoshoot, so you prayed to all of the gods that you could think of that your news wouldn’t push him over the edge.

As you were looking over the notes for the quick meeting with Miya-senshu, you heard a series of knocks on the door.

 _‘Hm a little bit more aggressive than usual, but not terrible,’_ you thought before looking up with a polite smile.

Unfortunately, your polite smile was met with a deep frown and you knew you were in for a ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say hi to me on my [tumblr](http://tsumwriter.tumblr.com)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atsumu is having a bad day and he takes it out on you.

Miya Atsumu was downtrodden as he walked into work today.

The little plant that Kita-san had sent him from his farm died from his neglect. 

He had forgotten to water the ~~stupid~~ plant, and it was all because he was busy training the past few weeks for the National Team coach that was coming in and out of practice. After waking up to a wilted plant next to his bedside, he was then greeted with a text from his gray-haired counterpart teasing him for being placed as second setter on the National Team roster and a picture of the team where he was NOT in the center. 

Typically, Atsumu entertained his younger twin and laughed off his stupid comments, but today the jokes that were supposed to have zero malice hurt a little. 

It was one of _those_ days where he was just stressed and he knew it was going to be a shit day, and he swore if anything else went wrong today he was going to blow up. 

So when the rest of the team saw Atsumu in the locker room, they steered clear of their setter. Even Hinata, the brightest of them all, felt a little wilted from Atsumu’s demeanor and kept his distance. 

It was rare for Atsumu to be so down, but everyone assumed it was just one of _those_ days where he woke up on the wrong side of the bed. They could all think of a day where they just felt like shit for no reason so there was a silent consensus that they would give the blonde setter some space. 

But empathizing with him made him no less bearable so when Atsumu excused himself to see you during their break, his teammates were relieved to have him out of their hair. 

Meanwhile, as Atsumu was walking to your office that was located on the second floor of the MSBY gymnasium, he was radiating anger, almost like he was begging someone to try him today. 

He was walking like a ticking time bomb, and everyone who passed him could feel the tension emanating from the blonde setter. It made him even angrier that people were tiptoeing around him. 

He really didn’t care about Tobio, he was actually quite happy for him, but the lingering glances made him feel self-conscious, like he _should_ care.

When he reached your office door, he knocked with a bit more fervor than usual and walked in after hearing your gentle, “come in.” 

Usually, he found your smile comforting and cute, but today it didn't have the same effect as usual.

When you motioned for him to sit down in one of the chairs in front of your desk, he let his gym bag fall on the ground next to the chair with a thud and ungracefully fell into the chair your hand was gesturing to. 

“Thanks for coming in today, Miya-senshu. I just have to brief you on your schedule this week and go over a few logistics with you.” 

Atsumu relaxed a little and let up on his frown, while giving you a curt nod. You seemed to be treating him like normal today. 

“Tonight at 8 you have a quick gala to attend with Sakusa-senshu meeting with some potential sponsors. It’s a black tie event, so please stick to the appropriate dress code. On Thursday, we’re going to have some investors come in and watch practice. They’re apparently big Miya fans so I was hoping you wouldn’t mind saying hi and meeting them during practice.”

You paused and waited for his response to which he just gave a disgruntled, “Yep, no problem.” 

You could see that he was still a little upset, but it wasn’t as bad as when he walked in. Atsumu seemed relatively normal to you, what with his mindless nodding, which you eventually learned was him tuning you out because you were “too boring” (his words). However, his usual quips about rich people being obnoxious and not wanting to appease them were missing. 

But, you were a marketing specialist, not a therapist. You weren’t here to make a grown man figure out his emotions, and that was what the little voice inside your head told you as you continued to go down your list. 

You had to mentally prepare yourself before breaking it to him.

“On Friday, you originally _had_ a photoshoot, but after discussion, we decided that Tomas-senshu would be better fitted for the campaign.” 

Your voice was steady and you tried your best to not raise any inflections that would give away your nervousness. 

Again, comments like this wouldn’t bother Atsumu on a normal day. He would brush it off and actually be somewhat grateful that he didn’t need to do more training for the photos, but today he decided he would be bothered by it. 

“Who the fuck decided to do that?” 

You cleared your throat and chose your words carefully, “The direction of the ad was going a little south, and they wouldn’t budge so we decided to change the entire narrative by changing the model.” 

You didn’t want to outright tell him that another brand deal was trying to overemphasize his pretty boy features in a sexual way or give him the impression that decisions were being imposed on him. 

Apparently, your diplomatic answer did nothing to appease him. 

Atsumu could feel himself fuming. 

One thing Atsumu hated was not being in control and today, he felt like the day was seriously out of his control, and hearing you was the icing on the cake. Maybe, he thought, I can at least get this under control. 

He sat up from his hunched position and straightened his posture, “I’m doing the photoshoot.” 

His eyes bore into yours with an intensity that you only saw on the court. Today, they were glaring at you and trying to make you feel small. 

But you were nothing if not determined. You worked in a field dominated by men and made it an effort to not be intimidated by them, especially not by Miya Atsumu during his pissy fit. 

You squared your shoulders, and your voice became stern, “You will not be going, and that’s final, Miya-senshu.” 

You expected this to be the end of the conversation, but apparently Miya Atsumu had more to say. 

“All of ya in this office think yer so damn smart and mighty because of those fancy degrees, but yer not.” 

He slumped into the seat and gave a teeth bearing grin that made you cross your arms in discomfort. This was starting to get a bit personal, and you had to remind yourself that this was just his emotions spilling from another incident. However, his next words hit a nerve, and you felt a tinge of hurt. 

“Yer always making decisions for us, but don’t even realize that none of ya would have a job without us. Know yer place, (y/n)-chan.” 

After his outburst, Atsumu waited for you to say something malicious back so that he could continue to go on his tirade, but instead was met with something entirely different. 

He watched you briefly close your eyes. When you opened them, there was something in them he couldn’t decipher other than the flash of hurt that you quickly suppressed. 

You uncrossed your arms before addressing him in a soft voice, “That was uncalled for.” 

The look on your face and the rigid body language that you were wearing told him how much damage he was doing. 

At first, he was somewhat satisfied with himself, because misery loves company. But as soon as he saw your eyes getting a little glassy, he knew that he had fucked up. He just wanted to get a rise out of you, but he wasn’t expecting you to cry. Now he felt like a complete asshole.

“(y/n)-chan I’m-”

Atsumu opened his mouth to apologize, but you immediately cut him off. 

“Thank you for your input, Miya-senshu. I’ll be sure to take them up to the rest of the department. I’ll see you at the gala.” 

Your voice was cold, and there was no room for backtracking. 

Miya Atsumu had royally fucked up, and he regretted every moment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far I've been portraying Atsumu as a dick but I swear next week we'll see a softer side!
> 
> Come say hi to me on my [tumblr](http://tsumwriter.tumblr.com)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team finds out what Atsumu said to you

Atsumu’s words were ringing in your ears even as you were walking towards the conference room.

‘ _ Know your place.’  _

After Atsumu left your office, you had thought a few breathing exercises were enough to collect your bearings, but his words had cut a little deeper than you expected. 

His snarky tone was what really stuck with you and it hurt, more than it should’ve. 

You had to keep reminding yourself that he was probably projecting and didn’t mean those words. Intentions aside, you were an overthinker, so his little monologue put you in a bit of a spiral. 

But you tried not to dwell on the conversation because right now you had more important things to do like listening to your supervisor go on and on about something that could be put into an email. 

Apparently your coworkers felt the same way because each of them sat down with a heavy sigh around you. 

Perhaps you weren’t doing as good of a job hiding your emotions as you thought because when one of your coworkers saw you, they patted your shoulder in sympathy. 

“That bad, huh?” 

You just pressed your lips in a straight line and nodded before telling them the abbreviated version. 

“He said that we’re pretentious for making decisions for them and that I should know my place.” 

You put the last part in air quotes to emphasize how brutally wrong the meeting had gone. 

One of your senpais whistled and shook his head, “He doesn’t mean it, (l/n)-san. The athletes just get really sensitive around this time of year because of the Olympics.” 

You mulled over his words and slowly started forgiving Atsumu in your head. You couldn’t imagine the pressure the athletes were currently going through, and for a competitive person like Atsumu, you knew this was a hard time. However, his words still hurt and you needed some time and an apology to completely forgive him, you just knew that you wouldn’t take any formal action to get him in trouble (unless he had another tantrum). 

\--

When Atsumu came back onto the court, he seemed dejected, and his teammates couldn’t decide what was worse: an angry Atsumu or a sad one. 

After losing every single practice set to the senior teammates, Sakusa decided that a sad Atsumu was the worst because at least angry Atsumu was good at volleyball. 

Sakusa was never really worried too much, but he was curious as to what got Atsumu in such a gloomy mood, especially since it was after a meeting with you. Typically after those meetings, Atsumu bragged about being your favorite athlete and spared no detail of how your conversations went. 

Today, the setter was silent, and the locker room was only filled with Bokuto and Hinata’s endless chatter of compliments and the occasional comments from the captain about their plays. 

When everyone got dressed and started packing up their bags, Bokuto (finally) asked Atsumu why he was so down, and all of the athletes looked expectantly at the two. 

Everyone was curious, but no one wanted to ask because they didn’t want to make Atsumu even more emotional, and also because Bokuto was always the first to pry when it came to the team’s emotions. 

“Tsum-Tsum, what’s got you so down man?” 

While tossing his dirty uniform into his bag, Atsumu slowly contemplated Bokuto’s question, but he was at a loss for words. 

Why  _ was _ he so upset right now? 

It couldn’t have been the plant, Kita-san could just send him a new one whenever he asked. Osamu’s comment was harmless and he trusted you and the rest of the staff to make decisions for him. 

So, why the hell was he so upset? 

He couldn’t really answer but he felt upset and that was that. 

“I dunno Bokkun, guess today’s just a shit day.” 

To Atumu’s surprise, it was the captain that clapped a hand on his back with a warm smile. 

“You know you can talk to us if you need anything.” 

For the first time that day Atsumu broke into a small smile and gave Meian an appreciative nod. The captain of the team was a few years his senior, and he knew the difficulties this particular time in the season brought so it meant a lot to Atsumu to hear those words. 

However, his smile was abruptly wiped off his face when Inunaki approached him. 

“Just don’t let your nerves ruin someone else’s day.” 

Fuck, now he knew why he was upset at the given moment, he had completely crossed the line during the meeting with you. 

“Uh-oh, what did you do Tsum-Tsum?” 

Bokuto sat down on the bench in front of him while untying his volleyball shoes, his concerned eyes never once leaving Atsumu. 

Rubbing the back of his neck from embarrassment, Atsumu let out a frustrating sigh. 

“I… I might’ve said some shit to (y/n)-chan without meaning it.” 

This time the youngest of the team approached him, bag in hand waiting for the rest of the members to start walking out. 

“Atsumu-san, what’d you say?” 

Said setter picked up his own bag to follow suit before answering sheepishly. 

“I might’ve told her that they were all hoity toities and … to know her place.” 

On his way out, Sakusa just gave him a quick glance and huffed, “dumbass” before leaving. 

Usually, Atsumu would retaliate with a curse of his own, but right now he knew that he deserved it and probably even worse words. 

When Bokuto stood up, he faced Atsumu with a stern look and a somewhat scolding tone. 

“That was rude.”

Atsumu flinched at Bokuto’s straight forward words and he gripped his bag a little tighter. 

“Yeah, but they always try and make dec-”

Before he could make a sorry excuse, Bokuto wrapped his arm around the blonde setter and pushed him out the locker room. 

“Go apologize before it’s too late!” 

And for the second time since you’ve started working for MSBY, Atsumu was headed to your office to apologize. This time his shoulders were a little droopier and no gag present like the first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is a special holiday chapter!
> 
> Come say hi to me on my [tumblr](http://tsumwriter.tumblr.com)


	5. ❄Holiday Special❄

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A special holiday chapter where it's just a fluffy filler! Doesn't really fit in with the current storyline but hope you guys enjoy *ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊˚

White snowflakes fell from the sky as you peacefully brewed your coffee. 

It was Christmas morning, and you were enjoying your holiday in your apartment, away from everyone before you had to attend a meeting in the evening. 

Yes, you were a people-person and loved being able to work with different people all the time, but you still needed to recharge. So, whenever you had days off, you became quite a recluse, and today was one of those days. 

The smell of coffee invaded your nostrils as you inhaled with closed eyes and a big smile on your face. You brought your coffee and your tired body to the couch and sat down to watch the snowfall through the window next to your Christmas tree. 

As you took a sip of the hot beverage, a snort escaped you as you saw the boxes surrounding your tree. 

There were several gifts from friends, families, and coworkers, but the ones that stood out were the ones from Bokuto, Hinata, Atsumu, and Sakusa. 

You were quite surprised when they had handed you the gifts, but after yesterday’s little fiasco, you felt that they were well deserved. 

\-- 

_ One day ago…  _

It was the last holiday sponsor event for your assigned athletes (and you). 

A fancy Christmas gala where sponsors were all invited to “party” with the entire team. The gala’s dress code was Christmas cocktail, where attendees were asked to wear cocktail party attire in Christmas colors. 

That’s why you were currently dressed in a deep green suit and dark red Jimmy Choos to get festive for the theme. It could be a little tacky, but you pulled it off effortlessly (bc you rock!). Your outfit gave you extra confidence and a little pep in your step, which was good because you would need it. 

As you were looking over the guest list with the other coordinator, one of your coworkers tapped your shoulder with a very panicked expression.

“Uhhh- (l/n)-san, I think you’re going to want to see this.” 

Your brows knit in confusion, but you followed your coworker to a backroom in the hotel that was hosting the event. 

Upon entering, your mouth fell upon, and you assumed this is what your coworker wanted to see. 

Why in the world was there a Santa Claus, an elf, a Christmas tree, and a star in front of you? And,  _ why _ did it have to be your assigned athletes in said costumes? 

You could feel a headache coming on as you tried to figure out why in the world Bokuto-senshu was dressed as santa with a Hinata elf next to him while a star Miya-senshu was trying to convince Christmas tree Sakusa-senshu to let him climb onto his shoulders for the “full effect.” 

A forced smile was on your face as you did your best to calmly approach them.

“Can someone tell me why you’re all dressed like this?” 

You felt yourself clench a fist as you heard an excited elf speak up. 

“Because you told us to  _ dress u _ p, (y/n)-san!”

That’s when it dawned on you. 

_ You _ told them they needed to dress up for a Christmas event without specifying that it was still a cocktail party. 

An exasperated sigh left your lips as you tried to come up with a solution. 

_ Maybe they can go home to get suits? No, they live too far for that… Maybe they brought suits? No there’s no way- _

“Were we not supposed to dress up, (y/n)-chan?” 

Bokuto spoke up with a concerned look that reminded you of a sad puppy. Of course, the resident empath was feeling your anxiety. 

For his sake, you calmed down. 

“No, Bokuto-senshu… It’s just… When I said “dress up,” I meant in tuxedos and suits.” 

Sakusa grunted in annoyance and turned to Atsumu while motioning to the tree and ornaments on his body, “I told you, idiot. She meant black tie not this” 

Not one to accept fault, Atsumu piped up, “Well, it’s all (y/n)-chan’s fault for not clarifying.” 

You felt your mouth twitch with agitation, but you let his comment go because he was technically right. 

“It’s alright, we’ll figure something out… For now, all of you need to go out and greet the guests.” 

\-- 

_ Present time  _

In the end, the costumes were actually a hit with all of the guests, and the sponsors loved how festive the athletes were. It wasn’t your idea, but the social media team at the Public Relations department had also suggested a photo opportunity for sponsors chosen by raffle, and it was a great success. Even your boss had showered you with endless compliments at how it was an ingenious idea. 

(You were even able to sneak a cute picture in with your favorite athletes which now proudly sat on your desk with the rest of your pictures.) 

The boys were certainly a handful, but there was never an uneventful day thanks to them which always kept you on your toes. At the end of the day, no matter how tired or stressed you were, you were grateful to work with such amazing people that surprised you with their attentiveness and care towards you. 

Even now as you opened their presents, you were extremely touched by what they had gotten you. 

Miya-senshu had gotten you eternal roses in a cute satin box because you had once said that you loved how beautiful roses looked and smelled like, but hated how fast they died. It was only in passing, but Atsumu had taken it to heart and looked online for ways to keep roses alive for longer but he found eternal ones that lasted a whole year. 

He was quite proud of himself and immediately ordered a box for you so you could enjoy them and use them to spruce up your office. 

Bokuto-senshu had gotten you something for your perpetual cold feet. 

Everytime he had meetings in your office, he noticed you shiver a little and mutter something about your cold feet, so he got you owl slippers that warmed up. They were adorable and he wrote a little note that said,  _ Now you can keep your feet warm under your desk! Merry Christmas. _

Apparently, another athlete had noticed how easily you got cold because the next box you opened had a scarf and gloves inside. They were a nice (y/f/c) shade and when you took all the contents out of the box, there was a small note. 

_ Learned how to crochet with my sister. Hope you like the color! Merry Christmas. -Hinata S.  _

A soft smile appeared on your face as you tried to imagine a slightly frustrated Hinata-senshu trying to crochet with his younger sister yelling at him to do better. 

The next box was smaller than the rest, and there was a small card wedged between the ends of the wrapping paper met. 

_ Calming scents for you whenever Atsumu stresses you out. -S.K.  _

When you opened the small box, you saw two Jo Malone candles that smelled delightful. They reminded you of Sakusa-senshu: soft, not overwhelming in the slightest, and yet very noticeable. 

Sakusa saw that you didn’t have any candles in your office, and when he was ordering his favorite scents, he decided to put in a few for you. Whenever he was feeling overwhelmed, candles calmed him down, and he wanted them to do the same for you. 

He knew how much stress the four of them put on you, and he felt like this was the least he could do. 

By Sakusa-senshu’s gift, you were slightly teary eyed at how thoughtful each of the gifts were. None of them had to get you anything, and yet here you were with a handful of items that you would cherish forever. 

While you were surprised by their gifts, Bokuto, Atsumu, Hinata, and Sakusa felt like giving you a Christmas gift was a given after all that you had done for them and their careers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week will be business as usual, and we'll finally see how you and Atsumu reconcile.
> 
> Come say hi to me on my [tumblr](http://tsumwriter.tumblr.com)


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atsumu finally apologizes and you guys finally reconcile.

When Atsumu got to your office, he saw that your door was closed, but he could hear your humming through the door and light coming from the bottom.

You were definitely in your office, and now he just had to gather his wits to apologize for the words he could never take back. 

He cleared his throat and knocked softly.

No response. 

He knocked again but this time a little harder. 

No response. 

He knocked again with more force but again there was no response. 

He assumed you were just concentrating on your work while listening to music and opened your door. 

The moment your door swung open everything seemed to go in slow motion. 

Instead of a sitting (y/n) that he had imagined, Atsumu saw you nearly half naked with only part of you covered, and he immediately muttered a sorry as he turned completely red and slammed the door shut. 

He stood outside your door for a second to reevaluate what had just happened.

Atsumu had just accidentally walked in on you changing… 

Meanwhile, you were in the office flustered, quickly slipping on the top half of your evening gown you had prepared. You were only changing in your office so that you could save some time before the gala, but instead you had flashed Miya Atsumu your boobs. 

_ ‘Well, HR’s not gonna like that…’  _ you thought before opening your door to see a beet-red Atsumu blankly staring at the wall. 

You cleared your throat and called his name while inviting him into your office. 

Atsumu was still in shock as he silently walked into your tiny office. Similarly to before, he plopped into one of the chairs in front of your desk while you settled into your own behind the desk.

Today was the day he completely ruined his relationship with you. He insulted you then walked in on you changing. 

You probably hated his guts, but he needed to at least apologize and try salvage whatever parts of this relationship was left. 

When he looked up at you and saw that you were shaking with a hand covering your mouth, his resolve started to melt and he was mortified. 

“Ah god (y/n)-chan, I’m the fucking wors-”

What Atsumu didn’t know was that you were actually covering your mouth to suppress the laughter that was threatening to leave your mouth. So when you accidentally cut him off with a giggle, Atsumu was completely caught off guard. 

“You should’ve seen your face!” 

The setter’s mouth was still agape as he was trying to figure out what the hell was happening. One second ago he thought you were crying, but now you were holding your stomach trying not to fall out of your chair. 

“Miya-senshu, yo- your face! You looked horrified!” 

You fell into another laughing fit before collecting yourself and wiping away tears. 

“I- I thought you were crying…” 

A sly smile adorned your face as you saw the flustered man in front of you. THE Miya Atsumu looked nervous and his usual confident demeanor was missing. 

‘ _ This is my chance to get back at him,’  _ you thought as you slowly got up from your chair. 

“You know Miya-senshu, you looked mortified to see me undressing. Didn’t enjoy the show?” 

“W-w-what?” 

His eyes were wide as he watched you gently perch yourself on the desk in front of him. 

“Now I’m really offended. You tell me to ‘know my place’ and then you look at me like _ that _ .” 

A dramatic sigh left your lips, and it took Atsumu a second but he finally caught on. 

His lips turned up into his signature smirk. 

“Well, if ya wanna show me again (y/n)-chan I’ll tell ya what I really think.” 

You let out a chortle and playfully slapped his arm. 

“Why are you really here Miya-senshu?” 

Atsumu fidgeted with his hands before he looked at you with an expression that you had never seen before on his handsome face. It was an odd mixture of sadness, guilt, and anger. 

“I’m sorry for blowin’ up on ya like that (y/n)-chan. I’ve just been having a shit day and just said things I didn’t mean.” 

You smiled and Atsumu felt his breath hitch- had you always looked this beautiful? 

“Apology accepted Miya-senshu.” 

Atsumu smiled shyly and stood up while sheepishly holding out his hand to you. 

You were puzzled, but took it anyways. 

“Whenever my brother and I got into massive fights, our mom would make us hug and hold hands as punishment. But since coworkers hugging is weird ....” 

Your smile got bigger, and you pulled him into a hug. 

It could definitely be seen as unprofessional, but shy Atsumu was too cute to pass up and you were a huge hugger. 

When you let go of him, he was bright red and flustered once again. 

“I forgive you Miya-senshu. But if you ever say anything like that again, I’ll post all of the terrible photos of you from past shoots on the team’s Instagram.” 

At that moment, Miya Atsumu decided he liked seeing this slightly non-professional side more than your usual serious composure. He also promised himself to never hurt you again. Atsumu liked having you around, and who knows, maybe he was even starting to catch feels for you. 

\--bonus scene

“Still don’t know why ya have a dress on at work.” 

“The gala, Miya-senshu!” 

“Ah right that… When was that again?” 

You grit your teeth before answering, “This evening. At 8pm.” 

“Yep, definitely knew that. Anyway, the suit I prepared was the same color as yer dress so we’ll be lookin’ like the hottest couple out there. ” 

You rolled your eyes and pushed him out of your office, “In your dreams Miya-senshu.” 

There was now a small smile on your face, and you felt lighter now that the air was cleared between the two of you. Maybe Miya-senshu wasn’t so bad afterall. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will feature a new character! Hope you guys enjoyed Atsumu's first arc (•◡•) /
> 
> Come say hi to me on my [tumblr](http://tsumwriter.tumblr.com)


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakusa-senshu has an epiphany

True to his words, Atsumu Miya wore the same color suit as you, and the both of you were turning heads at the gala, including a certain raven hair wing spiker. 

It made Sakusa the tiniest bit irritated to see the two of you so after everything that went down earlier today. 

_ How come Atsumu got away with everything?  _

If he had been the one to say something like that and ruin practice, he probably would’ve gotten a scolding, and you would be too scared to talk to him ever again. 

Life wasn’t fair, and it was evident in the way people were naturally flocking to Atsumu and not him. 

Sakusa let out a huff as he picked a champagne flute from one of the tables. 

He carefully scanned the crowd while taking slow sips of the bubbly drink. The wing spiker recognized a few people from previous events. As he was taking tally of the people you had specifically asked him to mingle with, he saw you talking to someone. 

Your body looked stiff, and your face was contorted into a forced smile. It was unnatural and was completely foreign to him. He had taken you as an extrovert, fairly comfortable in social situations, so it was odd seeing you so uncomfortable in what he thought was  _ your  _ element. 

Even odder, was his sense of protectiveness over you. He wanted to help you… 

Confused by his own feelings, he downed the glass in his hand. Sakusa always had a good grasp over his own emotions. He may not be the best at communicating how he feels, but he was always in-tune with his emotions, but right now looking at you, his mind was a little lost. 

Whatever he was feeling, he needed to focus on the task at hand: making small talk until you gave him the okay to leave. 

But while he was setting down his empty glass on a random surface, a voice caught his attention. A low register that he could identify as one Kuroo Testuro, head of promoting for the Japanese Volleyball Association. 

“You know she sent out an entire email detailing “Dos and Don'ts” for you.” 

He felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment because how long was he looking at you that the rooster-head had picked up on it? Not to mention the fact that he had entirely missed a person standing next to him. But most importantly-this email. 

The confusion must have been obvious on his face because Kuroo took no time to lightly tease Sakusa. 

“Oya, Sakusa-kun, you never noticed? People don’t gather around you in crowds, and they don’t try to shake your hand now, right?” 

The curly hair wing spiker carefully mulled over his words, and it dawned on him that Kuroo was right. He had always assumed people were finally getting tired of him, like his peers in high school that he would unintentionally scare off with his very strict boundaries and rules. Never did it cross his mind that you were the engineer behind this massive change. 

The tiniest of smiles appeared on his face, and he politely bowed to Kuroo before walking off to mingle. 

If he hadn’t trusted you before, he did now. You were now a tolerable person in his book-a big deal to anyone who knew Sakusa Kiyoomi personally because it only took you a matter of months to have him think positively about you. A realist like Sakusa thinking positively about another human being? Not an easy feat, and something that you should be proud of. 

Sakusa took a quick glance at you before striking conversation with the sponsor that had approached him. When his eyes met yours he felt a warm feeling in his chest, and he felt somewhat at ease. 

Odd, he was in a room full of people, and he felt like he could breathe. 

_ ‘Who are you (l/n) (f/n)?’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya'llllllll this next chapter is about to have some slight angst & fluff
> 
> Come say hi to me on my [tumblr](http://tsumwriter.tumblr.com)


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get a short moment with Sakusa-senshu

The night was slowly coming to end, and you were finally letting yourself have a glass of champagne.

Everything had gone smoothly. Atsumu was well behaved, and Sakusa never came up to you with a complaint. 

You swore you had even seen him flash you a grin in between small talk. 

A blush crept up on your cheeks as you thought of the idea of Sakusa smiling at you, but you quickly suppressed it and blamed it on the champagne and stuffy air inside. 

_ ‘Hah, Sakusa-senshu smiling? I must be losing my mind.’  _

You brought the back of your hand to your forehead and let out a soft snort as you thought of the idea of Sakusa Kiyoomi smiling at you. 

Speaking of the wing spiker, you had to go relieve the two athletes from their duty. 

You took a sip of champagne and started looking for Sakusa in the crowd. You knew how much he hated these things, so you thought you would let him leave first. 

It was emptier than before, but you could still hear people chattering and having a good time which made you happy. 

Searching for the two athletes wasn’t too hard since they were the tallest  and most attractive in the crowd. 

So when you saw curly black hair sticking out amongst the small group of people on the outside veranda, you walked over to see him talking to someone in a bespoke suit and what you thought looked like bed head. 

It took you a second, but you realized it was Kuroo-san. You had corresponded with him every now and then through emails and saw him at a few MSBY games.You recalled that he had a fairly long history with some of the players, especially Bokuto-senshu. 

You bowed and gave him a quick hello while flashing a quick smile of acknowledgement to Sakusa-senshu. It was too quick for you to catch, but upon seeing you his eyes lit up just the slightest bit. 

“Ah, (l/n)-san, nice to see you! Didn’t get to see him, but tell the old man at your department that he did a good job with the turnout.” 

You nodded and gave him a polite smile, “We couldn’t have done it without you and your team, Kuroo-san.” 

The man broke out into a cheshire grin and let out a cackle. 

“I’m sad that we didn’t hire you. But really, great job. Even Fujiwara-kun seemed impressed.”

At the sound of his name you felt the corner of your lip twitch in annoyance, but you thanked him again. 

Thankfully, Kuroo didn’t seem to pick up your slight agitation, but Sakusa’s keen eye caught your change in demeanor. 

When Kuroo left, a comfortable silence fell between you and Sakusa. 

You were looking out at the night views of the city and Sakusa was looking at you. 

Rather, he was studying your features that were currently highlighted by the moon and city lights. 

Your current calm nature washed over his anxieties, and he could feel himself feeling at ease. While he was curiously watching you, he suddenly thought of the name that Kuroo-san had brought up. 

_ ‘Fuji.. Fujiwara. Who the hell was that guy to garner a response like that from you?’  _

He wanted to ignore the voice in his head that was egging him to ask you about him, but today he decided to cave in. 

“Who’s Fujiwara?” 

Beside him he saw you run your fingers through your hair and let out a laugh that sounded more like a shaky breath. 

Shit, maybe he shouldn’t have asked because now you were clearly uncomfortable. 

“A fucking asshole.” 

Sakusa’s eyes widened a tiny bit at you cursing. This was certainly not the reaction that he was expecting. Well, he didn’t really know what to expect, but your professional composure breaking down was definitely not something he imagined. It surprised him further when you downed the rest of your glass before answering him. 

“He’s… this guy that I went to business school with. Completely narcissistic and incredibly well off. Everytime we interact, he reminds me that I’m barely hanging on while some people have it all.” 

The curly-haired wing spiker continued to listen in silence as he watched you lean on the railing with your forearms, hands still clutching the champagne flute. 

“I worked my ass off in school. My scholarship… the internships… Hell, even getting into business school was hard but pricks like Fujiwara-kun just  _ got _ in. Everything handed to them since day one.” 

Sakusa felt a tinge of anger because he could relate to your own frustrations. 

He was by no means poor, but he never wanted to ask for his parent’s help so he managed to get through college on his own merit. That meant sports scholarships and doing odd jobs here and there to have enough for good equipment. 

Sakusa briefly looked at the night sky, pondering his next words. 

“You have us now.” 

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you looked up at him. 

“The team. You worked hard, and now you have an entire team that trusts and appreciates you, something that only comes to good people.” 

It was now your turn to take a moment. You could cry at Sakusa’s words and how comfortable he seemed around you. It was moments like this that you knew you had the best job in the world, working for the most amazing volleyball players in the country. 

You looked at Sakusa with a thoughtful smile.

“You know Sakusa-senshu, you’re much kinder and charming than you give yourself credit for.” 

People had never used those words to describe him, so it was new that someone had viewed him in that way. And seeing you smile at him with a certain awe made him finally realize the reason behind his overprotectiveness. 

You were becoming more than tolerable to him and maybe he would let you inch closer to his guarded heart. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you guys liked this little moment with Sakusa! I think he's one of the hardest characters to write for just because he's still a bit of a mystery (personality/character wise) but I hope I did him justice!!!
> 
> Come say hi to me on my [tumblr](http://tsumwriter.tumblr.com)


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 🦉 oya oya

It had been a few weeks since your debacle with Atsumu and your unexpected heart-to-heart with Sakusa. 

To say that work had been going swimmingly would’ve been an understatement because according to your supervisor you were doing an outstanding job. 

Miya-senshu was cooperating, Sakusa-senshu was the slightest bit more talkative during events, Hinata-senshu was turning up the charm when meeting sponsors (not that he really had to), and Bokuto-senshu stayed his excitable self (which was all that the department asked for). 

It was really all going well, and you impressed the hell out of your boss and peers so much so that they had asked you to take on a new intern. A task you dreaded with your entire heart. 

You had once been an intern during your college days, so you understood how important these positions were for the intern and the company, but you just didn’t want to be the one to supervise someone. 

Four athletes were enough work so the thought of mentoring a very enthusiastic college student seemed like a headache waiting to happen.

But nonetheless you accepted. As the department’s fresh meat, it’s not like you really had a choice. 

So here you were sitting on the couch of the greenroom answering emails on your phone and glancing up at Bokuto getting his makeup done every now and then.

You had to admit, it was nice having an intern that could do more menial tasks since it meant there was less time for you to be on your feet. This was great news for you because you had been dying to wear the heels that were collecting dust in the back of your closet.

It had been a fairly smooth day with very little hiccups. Today was an important fanmeet for Bokuto-senshu where he was being interviewed in front of a live audience followed up by a quick Q&A session. 

There were a few sponsors in the crowd. But most of this event was being handled by the public relations department, so there was very little for you to do. In the email correspondence, all they requested for you to do was make sure Bokuto-senshu got on stage with all of the proper mic equipment. 

Easy enough. You had done this a hundred times. Even your intern was privy to dealing with these kinds of preparations. All she had to do was go to the sound people behind stage, get the mic, check the batteries, and bring it back to the greenroom for Bokuto-senshu. (Once, during a similar event you had accidentally sent Miya-senshu on stage with a dead mic, and it wasted more time than need be so now you made it a point to always check.)

When your intern came back with the mic, she handed it to you, and you held onto it while following Bokuto to the stairs leading up to the stage. During the short walk through backstage, a sudden voice in the back of your head made you feel chills down the back of your spine. 

_ ‘Everything is going too well.’  _ The voice told you and you had to agree. 

Events were never this easy, especially not when there were this many components, but even you deserved a break now and then. So you shook the feeling off and ignored the voice thinking that god was granting you a break. 

But the voice persisted, and you racked through your brain of things that could go wrong. 

You had double checked sponsor seats, checked in with them about the backstage meet up, and the microphone- 

Oh, you had forgotten to double check with your intern about the mic battery. 

Unfortunately, it was too late. 

Bokuto-senshu had already gone up stage looking a little flustered at not being able to hear himself through the speakers.

Shit. If you messed this up, you already knew your boss would rip you a new one. 

So you turned to the sound people and had a bit of a scramble before you finally got a mic with the batteries in check. It was in your hand, and you just had to get it to the spikey-haired wing spiker… On stage… 

Okay, you had to go on stage. No big deal. Right now, your nerves about being in front of a bunch of cameras and people were nothing compared to the time that was being wasted because of Bokuto not having a working mic. 

So you took a deep breath and went up, step by step, and quickly walked over to Bokuto who looked a little relieved seeing you on stage. 

But that look of relief very quickly turned to a look of horror when he saw you tripping over your own feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya'll finally get some Bokuto but i'm rude so I decided to only give you guys crumbs ٩(^ᴗ^)۶  
> tune in next week for some Bokuto fluff ! !
> 
> Come say hi to me on my [tumblr](http://tsumwriter.tumblr.com)


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> typical k-drama moment with bokuto

Your new Roger Vivier heels were not meant to be worn when quickly scuttling across a newly shined stage. 

Sure, they were in season and a great investment for a fashion-lover like you. But as you were falling, you wished you hadn’t worn them, and you swore to never wear them again. 

You closed your eyes as you braced yourself for a painful impact with the hardwood floor, but instead you fell into a warm embrace. 

Bokuto had caught you, one arm going around your waist and the other gripping onto the mic that you were about to drop all thanks to his inhuman-like coordination. Meanwhile, you just managed to grip onto his arms to catch your fall. 

When you peaked through your right eye, you were met with Bokuto’s warm gold orbs filled with concern. 

Your heart was racing, and you couldn’t figure out if it was because of the sheer adrenaline or how you could feel his biceps flexing from holding most of your weight. Or was it the fact that Bokuto’s face was so close to yours that you could feel his breath on your face? 

Either way, you could only think about how his breath smelled like lemons, probably from the candy backstage, his expensive smelling cologne, and how warm his body felt against yours. 

_‘Wait, backstage candy?’_

Your brain did a hard reset, and suddenly you started hearing high pitch screaming and the sound of camera shutters going off like crazy. 

Reality struck you, and you tried to get out of Bokuto’s embrace. Instead he gripped you tighter. 

“Are you okay (y/n)-chan?” 

You blinked several times before nodding and saying a hushed “thank you.” 

Other than a light flush, Bokuto was completely calm while you were a red mess. 

If you weren’t already sure that Bokuto Koutaro had the warmest eyes you’ve ever seen, today confirmed it. 

\-- bonus 

Fans were going crazy at your fall. 

Your fall and Bokuto’s arms were going viral on Twitter, and the official MSBY Instagram account was being spammed by fans demanding they know who you are and whether the two of you were dating or not. 

It was absolutely overwhelming. 

Even your best friends were texting you demanding to know if you were keeping a secret boyfriend from them. 

Your phone was blowing up so much that you had to take a break from all social media. 

Sitting on your bed, you glanced at the blue Manolo Blahniks that had made you fall and you found yourself thinking about Bokuto… 

A blush crept up on your cheeks as you recalled the way he was looking at you and how tightly his arms were wrapped around you. 

Little did you know, a certain black-and-white haired wing spiker was laying in his bed thinking about how you felt in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can we just talk about how amazing Bokuto's embrace must feel? 
> 
> Come say hi to me on my [tumblr](http://tsumwriter.tumblr.com)


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> literally if you're not already in love with Bokuto you will be now

The next day, work was exhausting… 

Everywhere you went, you could hear people whispering and taking extra-long glances at you. It was irritating, and as much as you tried to ignore them, you could catch bits and pieces of their conversations. 

Thankfully, your day was packed with meetings, so you had never really had time to sit down and let your mind think about the things people were saying about you. Sure, fans thought you were cute, and that little embrace was too K-drama like to be real. However, some of your co-workers were less kind and a bit more malicious with their words. 

You hated how people were talking about you, but you were a professional. This was your job, and unlike the petty gossipers, you had a lot of work to finish so you ignored it. 

On the other hand, Bokuto was pretty much unphased by the people around him talking about his personal life. 

Although he wasn’t a super famous celebrity, he certainly wasn’t new to living in the public eye, so this kind of attention was familiar to him. 

When he walked into the gym for his daily workout, it was no surprise that even before saying hello his trainer was bombarding him with questions. 

“Bokuto-kun, you had a super cute girlfriend and didn’t tell me?” 

He laughed it off just saying you were a friendly coworker. 

“I swear I’m single, Matsumoto-san!” 

The older man just snorted while helping him finish his last set of bench presses. 

“Don’t lie Bokuto-kun, I’ve seen the way you look at her.”

Bokuto set the barbell down and let it hit the metal with a loud clunk. His cheeks were a little warm, and he wiped off the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. 

The wing spiker said a polite goodbye to his trainer before heading over to the showers. 

He hadn’t realized that he was looking at you a certain way… He had to admit, he did like you, but as a friend he just wanted to get closer to- a ‘friend crush’ he called it. 

The wing spiker was such a people-person that he had platonic crushes on people that he wanted to get closer to, and he just assumed that you were one of those people. 

But now that he was taking a second to re-evaluate his feelings for you, he realized that they were definitely not just platonic. No, that smile of yours and the way your laugh calmed him down had won him over. 

As the warm water was hitting his taut muscles, Bokuto smiled while thinking about you. He was glad that it was _you_ he had a crush on because no matter the ending, he was just happy to have you residing in his heart, even if it was for a short while. 

God, he was such a huge sap, and as emotionally intelligent he was, sometimes he could be naive to his own feelings. 

He had even picked up something for your shoes so you wouldn’t slip again. As much as he wanted to keep catching you, he knew he couldn’t be there for you every time, so when he saw the non-slip shoe grips, he got a pair for you. 

Bokuto had feelings for you, and it was so obvious. He knew Akaashi would laugh a little later when he told him while Kuroo would straight up hyena laugh in his face. 

Now he was more excited than ever to have that meeting with you. 

\-- 

When Bokuto was turning the corner on the way to your office he could hear people gossiping. 

“I heard they’ve been dating for a while…” 

“Really? Well, I heard she only got this job because of Bokuto-senshu.” 

“Someone told me she’s always flirty with them.” 

“They can’t be dating, he’s too good for her.” 

He could feel his right hand turn into a fist, and his jaw clench with anger. 

People really were disgusting and it took all of his self-control not to confront those assholes right then and there. He knew that him popping off on a few staffers would only make things worse for you, so he took a few deep breaths and continued his short trek to your office. 

When he got to your office, he gently knocked on the door and entered when he heard the soft, “come in.” 

Today your voice sounded more exhausted, and he could pick up a hint of sadness which made him grip your present a little tighter. He wanted to- no he _needed_ to cheer you up because this was technically his fault. 

_He_ was the one that caught you, and _he_ was the one that was causing people to say all of those malicious things about you. 

If there was one thing you had learned about Bokuto, it was that his face (and hair) reflected his emotions very clearly. So when you saw his demeanor darken a little when he stepped in your office, you deduced that it was probably because of the not-so-quiet whispering that some dickhead coworkers were saying outside of your office moments before he came. 

“Bokuto-senshu, don’t listen to them. And don’t blame yourself for anything. I was the one dumb enough to fall.” 

The spikey-haired wing spiker looked at you in awe. How had you read him so clearly? There were only a few people in his life that could read him and an even smaller number of people that cared enough to put his feelings first. 

So today he wanted to be the one to comfort and reassure you like you were always doing with him. 

“You’re not dumb (y/n)-chan. The only dumb ones are _those_ people because we all know you’re the one that’s too good for me!” 

When he saw you laugh, he felt himself smiling. If he could keep making you laugh, he was willing to make fun of himself forever. 

“Thank you Bokuto-senshu. You know, your future partner is lucky to have you.” 

Bokuto grinned, “Not as lucky as yours, (y/n)-chan.” 

Your cheeks were bright red at his response, and you had to clear your throat to regain your composure. 

“Oh, before I forget! Lemme give you this.” 

Bokuto handed you the shoe grips and smiled brightly when he saw you look at him, your eyes filled with pleasant surprise. 

He didn’t know how this was going to end, but he knew that he was going to try his best trying to win you over. Because (l/n) (f/n), his heart was yours to take.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who just made a hq fic [tumblr](http://tsumwriter.tumblr.com/) ( ・_・)ノ  
> I'll be writing shorter one shots that I don't wanna post on here and also some hq crack content that lives rent free in my head like: HQ boys and their college majors
> 
> Nishinoya Yu - Communications  
> -Let’s be honest, Noya is just there for the fun, he dgaf about a degree and that’s literally the vibe of most comm majors in college (#sorrynotsorry)  
> -He parties and probably would either not go to lecture or just be hungover/drunk for class  
> -Somehow passes all of the exams tho? (barely tho like one point from failing)  
> -Noya is THE person that we all hear about in freshmen orientation with that one really funny story like; “also, don’t swim in that fountain, one time someone swam in it as a dare and got a fungal infection.”  
> -Also, he’s best friends with all of the professors in the department. Like sir, you’re near-failing all of your classes, but how/why do they all like you?
> 
> Come say hi or request a short scenario or head cannon and lemme see if I can think of something!  
> As always, thanks for reading :)


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You calm Hinata-senshu down at an important event

Before MSBY, Hinata was always working alone as Ninja Shoyo in Brazil. 

He had to go to games alone, train alone, and promote alone. 

It was lonely doing things by himself, but it made him a stronger and more independent player, and it was also a necessary way of life for him to start his career as a beach volleyball player. But knowing that it was crucial to his career didn’t make coping with his homesickness any easier. The culture shock and the language barrier was difficult to get over, but the hardest thing to overcome was being alone on the sand. 

Sure, there was one other person, but his teammate changed daily, and going from a supportive team of individuals to one other person was a huge change. Sometimes he was even reminded of his middle school days of always practicing alone. So when he became an MSBY athlete, he thought life would become much easier with a team (both on and off the court) to help him, but he realized that playing for a team came with its challenges. 

One of them being sponsor events. 

Before MSBY, Kenma was his only sponsor, and since he was his close friend, there weren’t that many contractual obligations to the relationship. It was simple, as long as he played well and kept “leveling up,” Kenma continued to sponsor him in Brazil. 

But now, there were so many conditions to sponsorships, and it was all super confusing. 

Once he asked Bokuto-san for advice on how to act during sponsor events to which the owl-spiker responded, “It’s like taxes, Shoyo! Very confusing so just do what feels natural and go with the flow.” 

At first it seemed like good advice, but after a disaster sponsor event where he apparently said the “wrong” thing (and got into lots of trouble for it), Hinata was a nervous wreck at events, especially ones where he had to speak. 

That’s why he was currently fidgeting and pacing around the room as he waited for further instructions. He was currently at a fancy sponsor dinner where he was the esteemed guest, meaning that he had to say a few words in front of everyone. PR was so nervous about him speaking that they had given him a cue card with a short speech, but trying to read someone else’s words only made him more nervous. 

It hurt your heart seeing Hinata-senshu so nervous. 

His confident and bright demeanor was nowhere to be found, and the person pacing in front of you felt like a stranger. 

You had heard at some department meeting about the “Hinata Fiasco” where Hinata-senshu had accidentally outed Kenma’s secret relationship with Kuroo during a livestream. It wasn’t pretty for anyone involved, and you were just happy that you were hired after all of the damage control had taken place. 

But that was that, and now Hinata was under your supervision with supervisor events, and you wanted him to have fun like he always did. You had to do something. 

So you stood up from your seat and stilled the pacing man in front of you by placing both hands on his shoulders. 

When Hinata felt your hands on him, he gave you a confused look to which you flashed him the most reassuring smile you could muster. 

Seeing your smile made him relax a little bit, but then you suddenly snatched the cue cards from his hands and ripped them to pieces which made him panic. 

“W-w-why? W-why, (l/n)-san?” 

You grinned while dramatically dusting your hands after throwing away the shreds of paper. 

“Hinata-senshu, you don’t need those. Just say whatever you want to say!”

Hinata’s eyes grew wide, he was mortified. The last time he had said anything he wanted, practically every staff member was furious at him. 

“W-what if I say the wrong thing?” 

His voice was barely a whisper as he recalled getting yelled at by your supervisor. 

You could feel his intense fear and spoke again. 

“Nothing you say can be “wrong” and if anyone says anything, I’ll take full responsibility.” 

Taking a step closer to the athlete, you straightened his bowtie and gave him a soft smile. 

“I trust you, Hinata-senshu. Do you trust me?” 

Hinata’s mouth turned upwards into his usual smile, and he nodded. 

Your voice held so much sincerity that it made him melt just the slightest. 

Since he was the youngest of the team, no one seemed to trust him with a lot of things outside of the court. He was always seen as a possible liability, and some staffers (especially those in your department) treated him like a ticking time bomb, especially after  _ that _ incident. So to hear that you trusted him enough to bet your job on him not making a mistake was a big deal. 

Instead of responding, he just gave you a big hug to show his appreciation (something he learned in Brazil). 

At first you stiffened in shock, but immediately relaxed into his embrace. He was warm and smelled like a cold glass of orange juice on a sunny summer day. 

You patted his back and gave him a thumbs up, “You’re gonna kill out there.” 

And Hinata did. 

The fact that  _ you _ trusted him gave him enough confidence to be his usual charming self. 

To be frank, Hinata was always a little intimidated by you, because of his past encounters with staff from your department, but now he was excited to get to know you better. 

Hinata was determined to make your job easier, and maybe even one day put a smile on your face like you had for him today. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-timeskip Hinata is a zaddyyyyy and yall can't tell me otherwise
> 
> Come say hi to me on my [tumblr](http://tsumwriter.tumblr.com)


	13. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata-zaddy having a moment!!! Also, lmk why I was listening to ilysb (stripped ofc) by Lany when I was writing this

Hinata-senshu’s speech was immaculate. 

It was charming, funny, and conveyed his gratitude and appreciation perfectly. 

The dinner also went smoothly without any incidents, and everyone seemed happy, even Hinata (who was typically very nervous at these events). The night was slowly coming to an end, and there was only one more thing left of the event: the fireworks. 

The hosts of the dinner insisted on ending the night with some fancy fireworks to properly celebrate their favorite volleyball player’s wonderful season. 

That’s why you were currently standing on the hotel veranda watching the fireworks light up the night sky with the rest of the guests. 

It was a beautiful sight, but it did nothing to stop the shiver from running through your body. 

Nights were getting chillier, and today happened to be one of  _ those _ days where under the sun it was warm, but in its absence, it felt like a cold winter day. 

Your shivering didn’t go unnoticed by the orange-haired spiker next to you, and when he saw your arms wrap around your body for any kind of warmth, he immediately took off his suit jacket and draped it over your shoulders. 

When you felt the warm fabric envelop your frame, you looked at its owner with an appreciative, yet slightly confused smile. 

“Thank you.” 

You had no clue how he knew you were cold, but it didn’t really matter now that you were warming up. You also felt yourself relax with his suit jacket around you,a blush painting your cheeks as you felt his lingering body heat on the jacket along with the blood orange and sandalwood cologne invading your senses. 

While you were trying to focus on the fireworks, and not the extremely attractive volleyball player next to you, Hinata was constantly stealing glances at you. 

After the second time he randomly looked over at you, he finally understood why some of his senpais on the team were so enamored by you. 

You were definitely cute, but there was a certain charm that he couldn’t quite put a finger on. Maybe it was your passion for work? It rivaled his own, and he appreciated your dedication to the craft as well as your patience with him. Today certainly proved to him that you genuinely cared about him  _ and  _ volleyball, which made you a winner in his book.

Also, the way you were holding on to the lapels of his suit jacket while trying to suppress your shivers made him laugh softly. 

For some reason, it made him happy that it was  _ his  _ jacket you were wearing. 

And for whatever reason, he was disappointed at the thought of this night ending and having to leave you. 

Usually, he was more than relieved to leave sponsor events, but today he didn’t want to go home. Instead, he wanted to stay here with you and ask you a bunch of random questions just so he could get to know you better. 

_ Did you play volleyball?  _

_ Which position?  _

_ What’s your favorite color? _

_ Do you like meat buns?  _

His mind was swarming with questions, but he was snapped out of his thoughts when you gently shook his arm. 

“Hinata-senshu, we should go back in.” 

For the second time that day, he smiled brightly at you. 

One day, he would get answers to all of his questions, but today he was satisfied with knowing that when he was ready, he could trust you with anything. 

\-- bonus

The next day, you dropped off Hinata’s suit jacket on the court before walking to your office.

You thanked him and also handed him his favorite bottle of orange juice that he drank as a coffee substitute in the mornings. 

Hinata was so happy you remembered what he drank before morning events that he felt like he could burst. 

“(y/n)-san, you’re the best!” 

Laughing, you waved your hand in front of your face, “It’s just orange juice Hinata-senshu.”

“But it’s orange juice from  _ you _ !” 

_ Damn, was Hinata always this smooth?  _

You had always seen him as the baby of the team, but the amount of times he had made you blush definitely made you think otherwise.

While you were trying to hide how flustered you were by his subtle comment, three men were watching this entire encounter from a distance. 

“Tsum-Tsum, why was (y/n)-chan wearing Shoyo’s clothes?” 

“I dunno Bokkun, but chibi-chan’s not as innocent as he sets out to be.” 

Meanwhile, Sakusa was sulking in the corner, a threatening dark aura slowly permeating from his body. It was evident that something had happened between the two of you because Sakusa noticed Hinata calling you by your first name now. 

Unbeknownst to him, Hinata had just placed a target on his own back by subtly (or not so subtly) flirting with you. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is going to be a special one with another athlete *wink wink*  
> I'm starting a new round of character arcs, and I need more time LOL... So here I am stalling, but I promise it's cute asf and worth your time :) 
> 
> Also, if you like astrology and hq [make a request](https://tsumwriter.tumblr.com/post/643158382806728704/hq-astrology-relationship-headcannons-open) on my tumblr!!


	14. Special Chapter ft. ???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to my bestie and beta-reader that makes sure everything makes sense.

Meian Shugo lived most of his life focusing on volleyball.

Ever since his older sister made him practice with her in elementary school, he was hooked. Everything in his life took a backseat, including education, and he always had tunnel vision for the sport. 

Life was volleyball and volleyball was life. 

But today, Meian felt like he saw a glimpse of his future, and sadly it didn’t include volleyball. 

It was the last day of the season and also Barnes-senshu’s last day. 

The 32-year-old athlete was finally retiring after nearly 14 years, and it was with a heavy chest that Meian said goodbye to his teammate. He was losing a teammate, but Barnes’ retirement was also a sore reminder that he didn’t have much time left on the court either. 

Soon, the team would start looking for a new captain and recruit a new middle blocker to take his place. 

An exasperated sigh left his lips as he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets as he started walking to his car. 

The party no longer felt festive, and despite the sound of chatter and glasses being clinked together behind him, Meian couldn’t find it within himself to celebrate. Because, what was he celebrating--being the next in line to walk the plank?

The future seemed bleak like the night sky until he heard a small voice call his name. 

“Meian-senshu?” 

He jumped a little in surprise, but quickly gathered his composure when he realized it was just you, one of the team’s coordinators. 

“l/n-san?, is something wrong?”

“No! I- I was just wondering if you could sign one last thing before you left.” 

He had never noticed, but you looked so small up close. You were adorable, and now he could see why the other athletes seemed to like you so much. 

“Did I miss a sponsor?” 

“I… It’s for a friend… I forgot her birthday, and she’s such a big fan! This would absolutely make her day.” 

The captain laughed a little at your rambling and nodded.

He took the jersey and sharpie from you and signed the black fabric with ease. 

“Your friend's name?” 

“It’s (friend’s name)!” 

Meian wrote a little happy birthday note, and you watched in excitement. 

_ Oh my god, she is going to absolutely die when she sees this.  _

When he finished, you clapped your hands and thanked him repeatedly. 

Meian just flashed you his usual charming smile, “This is nothing compared to what you do for the team.”

From what he observed so far, you were reliable, straight-forward, and great at your job. There was also no one like you that could reign in some of the younger athletes. 

“Well, you literally keep the team together, so I can do my job. There wouldn’t be a MSBY without a Captain Meian.” 

Meian blinked slowly, and he felt a wave of reassurance run through him, “Thank you.” 

“Of course! Now, I have to go back before  _ something  _ happens.” 

You didn’t know it, but your words were a great source of encouragement for him. Also, seeing you go around stopping Atsumu from challenging sponsors to drink more than him while also making sure Bokuto wasn’t talking to one person for ages about the new technique he was practicing reminded him he still had ways to go before even thinking about retiring.

And besides, MSBY was like his family, and for now he didn’t even want to think of a day where he would have to say goodbye. 

\---bonus 

“Can I ask for one last favor, Meian-senshu?” 

“Anything.” 

“Can we take a selfie? I’m going to send it to my friend to make her jealous.” 

Meian raised a brow, and a mischievous smile was on his face. 

“Yeah, let’s do it.” 

When you got your phone out and held it up, your arm was too short for the selfie, thanks to Meian’s height. (this man is over 6’5!! 196.8cm!!!!!) 

Seeing you struggle a little, Meian took your phone with one hand and grabbed you closer with his other arm. 

He got closer to your small figure and whispered, “Let’s make her really jealous.”  Needless to say, the selfie with Meian basically backhugging you and kissing you on the head managed to make your friend  _ very _ jealous. It also made you a blushing wreck every time you looked at the picture. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is not enough Meian content in this fandom so I'm just paying my dues 😌  
> Also, next week there is going to be so much fluff ya'll aren't even ready I swear
> 
> \---  
> Come say hi to me on my [tumblr](http://tsumwriter.tumblr.com)


	15. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakusa fluff this week and next week!!!

Today was a good day. 

The season had gone by without any major incidents, and the sponsors were happy- therefore you were happy. 

It had been a year since you had signed the contract to work with the four athletes, and honestly, you couldn’t have asked for better. 

Everyday was fun and stressful, but fun nonetheless. What was supposed to be a resume-booster turned out to be an enjoyable experience, so much so that you agreed to work for the team for another season. 

When the boys had found out, they were through the roof. Somehow they had found out that you were contracted to stay only for one season, so on your last day (which was subsequently today), all four of them crowded your office and begged you to stay. 

_ “You can’t leave (y/n)-chan! Who’s going to make sure my mics always work?”  _

_ “Yeah! If ya leave (y/n)-chan, I’m gonna riot!”  _

Eh, less begging and more screaming was involved, but it was the thought that counted. 

When you finally told them that you were staying and that you were packing up for a bigger office, they all cheered and invited you to the team’s wrap party. 

It was supposed to be a lowkey get-together for the team and some staffers, but somehow it turned into a rager.

Inunaki-senshu’s classy penthouse now looked like a frat house. 

The speakers were blasting music, and the bass was so loud that you could feel the floor vibrating underneath you. 

Normally you would be bothered by the loud music and people being so close to you, but the alcohol was numbing out your senses. You had promised yourself that you wouldn’t drink too much, but it was nearly impossible when Miya-senshu and Bokuto-senshu would wrap their arm around your shoulder and drag you to the bar to take a shot. Somehow they had convinced you to go shot for shot with them, and that’s why you were nearly shitfaced at a supposed work party.

At one point, when Atsumu and Bokuto were pouring another round of shots for the three of you, Sakusa grabbed the shot glass from your hand and placed it back on the counter.

“I think you’ve had enough.” 

You pouted and Atsumu and Bokuto started tipsily yelling, “Party foul! Party foul! (y/n)-chan is tapping out.” 

To which you responded by taking the shot against better judgement. 

You were going to make a sassy retort as well, but Sakusa made a grunt of disapproval and grabbed you by your sleeve. 

“I’m gonna take you home, you’re too drunk.” 

“Wait, Omi-kun, what about us? You’re our DD!” 

“Get an Uber.” 

“Omi-Omi!” 

Despite their protests, Sakusa collected your stuff and led you to the door. 

You didn’t feel drunk enough to go home, but when you nearly fell face first into the elevator wall, a small part of you was grateful that Sakusa was taking you away from those monsters that kept feeding you shots. 

Unbeknownst to you, Sakusa had been keeping a tally of how many shots you and the other athletes were taking. He knew that Bokuto and Atsumu could drink like a tank, he had seen it before, but he was worried about you getting alcohol poisoning trying to drink shot-for-shot with the two idiots. 

So when you started stumbling around the party and randomly started pouring vodka in people’s drinks, he knew it was time for you to go home. 

That’s why he was currently buckling you in. (Yes, you were so drunk you couldn’t even put a seatbelt on.)

When he finished, he started the engine and headed to his apartment because there was no way in hell you would remember your address. 

While he was driving, you were watching him intently. 

“Kiyooooomiiiii-kun, who said you could look this pretty with a mask on?” 

Sakusa laughed under his breath and shook his head as he felt a blush slowly creeping up on his cheeks. 

“When were we on a first name basis?” 

“Since… now!” 

He smiled under his mask and gave you a quick side glance. 

“Okay, (y/n)-chan.” 

His voice came out softly, and something in his heart stirred as he called you by your first name. 

While he would never admit it to the rest of his teammates or you, he was always the tiniest bit jealous of how everyone called you (y/n)-chan. He knew you didn’t mind, but it felt a bit too soon dropping the honorifics, but now he felt comfortable, even if it was just your drunk self talking. 

Sakusa’s thoughts were interrupted when he heard you using the hand sanitizer that he kept in his car. 

He wondered why you were suddenly sanitizing your hands, but the moment you held out your hand towards him, he knew where this was going. 

“Can I play with your wrist, please?” 

At first, Sakusa tried to ignore your pleas, but you were nothing if not persistent. Eventually, he gave in and gave you his hand.

You were like a toddler playing with their favorite toy as you bent his wrist back and forth. After playing with his wrist, you compared his hand to yours and started gawking at how large they were. 

A part of him was tempted to remove his hand from yours, but the other half, the part that was ruled by his heart, never wanted to let go. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally I wanted to write another Meian chapter where the bois react to the selfie from last chapter but my brain said NOPE. So here's a new arc!!!
> 
> Come say hi to me on my [tumblr](http://tsumwriter.tumblr.com)


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